The Butterfly Effect: Ancona's Annual Fund 2026-2027
If I’m already paying tuition, why does the school ask for charitable donations?
Tuition Doesn’t Cover It All
Like most independent schools, our tuition is intentionally set below the actual cost of educating each child. If tuition covered 100% of our budget, it would price out many families, compromising the socioeconomic diversity that makes our community strong and our progressive curriculum meaningful.
What does my contribution go towards?
What Your Giving Directly Powers
Annual Fund philanthropy directly helps to enrich your child’s daily environment:
- Sustaining Small Class Sizes: Funds the dedicated faculty needed for low student-to-teacher ratios and personalized learning.
- Fueling Diversity & Tuition Assistance: Ensures our classrooms reflect diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, which is central to our progressive, justice-centered values.
- Enriching Curriculum: Provides the dynamic materials, field trips, and faculty development required for inquiry-based learning.
- Unlocking Outside Funding: High parent participation rates—regardless of the donation amount—signal a strong community and help us secure external grants.
Should our family donate to the Annual Fund if we receive tuition assistance?
Yes, if you are able—and any amount makes a difference! We invite 100% of our families to participate because the Annual Fund supports the daily operational costs that tuition alone does not cover.
Here is what you should know:
- Participation is what counts: External foundations look closely at our overall community participation rate when awarding grants to the school. A gift of $5 or $10 carries the exact same weight toward that goal as a larger contribution.
- It is completely voluntary and confidential: Annual Fund giving has zero impact on your financial aid award or future aid applications. Financial aid decisions are handled independently and confidentially based solely on demonstrated need.
Every family is a vital part of our community, and we welcome giving at whatever level feels right for yours.
Will my donation count toward all of my children's classroom for the participation challenge, or do I have to make a gift per student?
Yes! For those families with siblings at Ancona, each student’s classroom or advisory will receive credit for any and all contributions to the annual fund during the Fall Annual Fund Drive.
When does the pie throwing happen?
For those classes that qualify, the pie throwing happens immediately after the Winter Assembly, the morning of December 18th.